RequiredSurrender (6 page)

After a moment she sniffled. “You really don’t want me?”

He sighed and tilted his head. Her big eyes were glassy and
uncertain. He needed to give her a bit of closure here. She’d just admitted
that she was in some phase of sub-frenzy for him. He couldn’t just slam the
door on her without giving her a modicum of power in the process.

“Like I said before, this is not about me
not
wanting
you. This is a situation I’m not ready to entertain at the moment. Unless…”

“Yes?”

“I could be sure you’re ready and really serious to take on
this kind of commitment. I’m a demanding Dom.”

“I know.” She snuggled up against him. Not the reaction he
was going for. “They call you the disciplinarian.”

“There’s a reason I acquired that name. Keep in mind you’ve
only seen the good side of me. There’s another side you may not like.”

She sat up. “Maybe I will though.”

“All right. Why don’t we see how well we suit each other.
Meet me Wednesday afternoon at—”

“I can’t on Wednesdays. Evening is better. Thursday?”

“Fine, I’ll send the car for you. You can hang out in my
world for the night, but I’m warning you now. Any defiance, any negative
behavior and the deal’s off.”

The moment she left he turned on his laptop and accessed
client data files. If he was going to turn her off him so she’d be the one to
make the decision not to be Topped by him, he needed the means. And buried in
the customer surveys he had it. Everyone was required to outline the likes and
dislikes section of the profile sheet. This was going to be like shooting fish
in barrel. He’d simply make her do everything she disliked and before the night
even started he was sure she’d see what a bad choice of Dom he’d be for her.

While he was at it he pulled up the convention center’s
venue for Saturday night. And there it was under reward recipients, Doctor
Anjay Patel. “Got ya.”

He picked up his cell, pressed two on his keypad and leaned
back in his chair. By the time he got through to his attorney he had his feet
up on his desk and a plan already well on its way to be formulated.

“Hey, Alistair, I need you to contact someone for me. I’m
thinking about making a sizable donation and I need to know the particulars.
Sure. It’s Doctor Anjay Patel. That’s A…”

Chapter Five

Ted checked his watch. Two thirty. Fifteen more minutes
before his appointment.

“Cam, do a turn around the block. I don’t want to appear too
eager.”

“Sure thing, Sir.”

Ted watched the raindrops erratically skate down the
passenger window of the limo while he concentrated on this evening rather than
what was to come before it. He had his appointment with Patel all plotted out
so there was no thinking to be done. There’d be no mistakes. But later tonight
after meeting the bastard he had his date with Jo. He’d figured it out to
perfection. It would be a challenge. One he knew would be too difficult for her
to complete. It was probably unfair, but he didn’t want her getting hurt in the
long run. He wasn’t the guy for her. A Dom like Blake was better for her. Maybe
he should have invited him tonight too.

He examined the back side of Patel’s digs. Not too shabby
for a doctor just starting out. Doctor Patel, he mentally scoffed, a veritable
genius with a scalpel was one great guy. He’d done his internship at Duke
University hospital then he did three years in the trenches with Doctors
Without Borders. Cowards always ingratiated themselves mainstream. It seemed he
was no exception to that rule because now he was back in their community to pick
up his humanitarian of the year award. Screw that.

The man was an opportunist who certainly had some great
connections. Starting with Jo’s family and try as he might, Ted couldn’t get
his head around the mother’s behavior. Race, creed or color didn’t sway the
point that Patel was a rapist who should have been prosecuted for what he’d
done to her daughter. Why hadn’t he been held accountable and worse still, why
was Jo’s mother letting him maintain a relationship with her husband, which
meant that all of them had to share the same air space.

He sighed.

If Jo was forced to spend time with the guy for whatever
reason, the guy was going to know that she had friends who wouldn’t take too
kindly if he thought to lay so much as a finger on her.

The car stopped at the lobby and Ted waved Cameron off. “I
got the door. Park up the street for ten and then do two turns around the
block. I should be done by then.”

“Yes sir.”

“Well, hello there, darling.” He turned on the charm.
Vanilla and over fifty was his easiest feminine mark. “The doctor’s expecting
me. Ted Basel.” He patted the breast pocket of his Armani and grinned. “The guy
with the heavy checkbook, looking to lighten its load.”

She giggled and blushed. “I’ll tell him you’re here.”

“You do that, darling. You surely do.”

He pretended interest in the pictures hanging on the wall.
Although why anyone would give them more than a cursory glance was a mystery.
There was nothing of interest in any of them. A pile of endless scenery and
fathomless seascapes. For a guy who was into improving the human physical
condition he had no people in his pictures.

“Mr. Basil. Welcome,” Patel swept an arm in a flourishing
gesture from the open door of his office. “Welcome. Please.”

The guy went the extra mile and pressed his palms together
as if in prayer, bowing as Ted passed by him.

“I was so pleased when your representatives called me. My
foundation is still in its infancy and getting someone of your stature
interested. I’m fortunate indeed.”

“Yes, I was looking for a cause and there you were.”

Ted saw the large eight by ten photograph on the counter
behind Patel’s desk and tried not to scowl. It was a picture of Jo when she was
much younger. Early teens or there about. The inscription on the bottom in
thick adolescent-type lettering read, “To my pal, my friend, my hero! Love you,
Boo Boo”.

If he’d had any doubt before that this fucker had it coming
there wasn’t a doubt in his mind now. Jo had trusted this guy with her heart
and the bastard had ripped it out of her chest and stomped on it.

“Sit, sit.” Patel waited for Ted to sit in one of the two
wing chairs opposite his desk before he sat himself. “After corresponding with
your attorneys, I’m excited to have this opportunity to meet you. What would
you like to know about the foundation? I sent them all the information. The
pamphlets and the financials. Were they able to speak to any of the other
donors?”

Ted didn’t have a fucking clue, but he nodded anyway. “Of
course. Now, I have a tradition, Anjay, can I call you that?” He didn’t wait
for an answer and continued. “Where I come from, when my lawyers say it’s on
the up and up I say okay. The only thing left to do is drink to it.”

He let Anjay get his head around the concept for a second
and then said, “I’m a simple man and as such I believe when a guy decides to
donate a hundred thousand dollars to another man’s pet project they should have
a drink together.” He pulled the small, limited-edition bottle of Patron out of
his coat pocket and placed it on the desk between them. With a smile he said,
“I won’t take no for an answer.”

“A hundred thousand?”

“Yes. Do you have any glasses around here?”

Anjay’s brown eyes widened and he jumped all over that.
“Yes. Yes, right here.” He produced two tumblers, pushing them to Ted across
his perfectly neat desk.

“Great.” Once he’d poured a couple of fingers in each glass
he slid Anjay’s back to him. “Here’s hoping you get everything that you
deserve.” He toasted and leaned forward to clink glasses. When he put his glass
to his lips he was careful not to get any liquid near his mouth. He just held
the glass there until Anjay swallowed.

Then he slowly put his glass down and eyed the smiling
bastard until the bastard’s smile wavered and confusion donned in his rapidly
hazing-over eyes.

“Huh,” Ted reached across and took the glass from his hand.
“I bet you’re feeling a little funny right about now.”

Anjay tried to speak but couldn’t and when he made a sloppy
grab for the phone Ted pushed it aside.

“It’s really not nice when your control is taken. I mean,
personally I’m all about a woman giving up control to me, but that’s different,
isn’t it? I work hard to earn that right. I don’t steal it from her.”

Anjay’s head lolled so Ted leaned over the desk and helped
him keep his jaw steady. “I want you to pay attention. That hundred grand? I’ve
decided I don’t want to donate it to your cause after all.”

He tried to shake his head but Ted wouldn’t let him. “How
does it feel, you fucker? To have something you were looking forward to,
something that excited you, turn to shit? That’s what happens when someone you
trust steals your innocence. It takes a toll and leaves a mark. I don’t like
you, Patel, so be warned. I’m watching you.”

He gave him another shake to get him focused. “Trust me, you
don’t want to piss me off. And upsetting any woman you know will make me mad,
you understand? Upset Jo or tell anyone about my little visit with you today
and I’ll gladly tell the world what you did. They’ll deport your sorry ass so
fast you’ll be back in your mother country operating by candlelight. No more
state-of-the-art digs for you. I heard about the complex you’re trying to buy.
Great location. Too bad you’ll be turned down for that grant you were hoping to
use as your down payment. They seem to have lost the paperwork. I guess you’ll
have to find the cash somewhere else if you don’t want to lose what you’ve
already invested.”

Patel’s eyes fell shut and Ted tapped him hard on the cheek
to make sure he stayed awake long enough to hear these last words. “Go to
sleep, you rapist, motherfucking bastard, and know that when you wake up this
time, you’ll have to do a little accounting to keep your head above water and
your ass out of court.”

Ted fished through his coat pocket. Taking out the folded
papers, he held them up. “Those loans you were hoping to pay off over the next
ten? They’re now due. Oh, and that line of credit you’re schmoozing the bank
for? Could be held up if I don’t get my money. Jerry Teft is a close personal
friend of mine. It’d be a shame if I forgot myself and mentioned the deadbeat
doctor who owes me a boatload of cash.”

Patel tried to hang onto consciousness. He did a damn good
job too, but eventually his body gave in and when it did, Ted smiled. There was
just one small detail left. He didn’t consider it gathering blackmail material,
instead he thought of it as insurance. Yeah, the start of a fucking ironclad
policy.

* * * * *

Five hours later, Ted sat in the lounge area of Crystal’s
Storm, the first of the three clubs he and his partners had opened. Aside from
the newly established resort, this place was his favorite. It was large, but
not too large and unlike the other clubs around, including theirs, Crystal’s
greeting area was open and airy. High ceilings, bamboo floors and light-colored
walls. The theme was somewhat nautical in nature with rich blues and reds that
played off crisp white trim and walls in places. It wasn’t until you went
through one of the twinset French doors at the side of the room that the
lighting became more subdued and the place was compartmentalized.

Crystal’s was unique in another way too in that the majority
of play took place behind the French doors. This lounge with the surrounding
clusters of seating that wrapped around the bar was mostly deemed a traditional
meet-and-greet setting, but tonight he was going to break with tradition and
give the lucky patrons a show. If Jo was up to it. He was hoping she’d balk
right at the beginning so that they could get the inevitable over with quickly.
The sooner they did the sooner he could find her a Dom.

“Good evening, sir. May I get you some lemon water? Or ice
tea perhaps?”

“Water would be fine, thanks. And would you turn up the
lighting over this section? Just until I’m done here then you can dim it
again.” Ted had reserved the sunken lounge for the express purpose of dealing
with Jo and with that in mind, the more light the better.

“Certainly, sir. Right away.”

His phone vibrated. It was a text from Cam telling him he’d
just dropped her off at the door. He leaned back in the overstuffed leather
chair and smiled. Game time.

He saw her before she spotted him and when the server
arrived with his water he looked away. He was glad for the distraction because
she looked great and he didn’t want to be caught staring. Clearly she had
dressed for the occasion. Didn’t she know that was pointless? If she managed to
get through the paces he was going to put her through she’d be wearing an
outfit of his choosing—he eyed the suit folded on the table—and sighed. There
was no way she was going to do what he intended and that would be his out with
her. Wasn’t this the whole point of the exercise?

“Thank you.” The server left and Ted watched him head up the
four steps while Jo came down them.

She walked around the couch and gave him a half smile. “Hi.”

Picking up his glass, he eyed her over the rim. “You’re a
little overdressed.” She really wasn’t. Her short skirt and tight shirt were
skimpy enough, but he didn’t want her comfortable. She needed to be off-center
right from the start if he was going to scare her away.

Her eyes narrowed but her tone was even. “I’m sorry. If you
wanted me to wear something specific you should have said so.”

He put his glass down and straightened a sleeve. “Don’t tell
me what I should have done. I’m well aware of what I desire. In fact I’m well
aware of what you desire. Check your attitude tonight, Jo. Remember, one
denial. One action contrary to what I want from you and it’s done between us.”

“I understand.”

He looked up. “Do you? Give me your purse and your sweater.”
She handed them over. “Now take off your clothes. Everything.”

When she tilted he head and scanned the crowded room around
them he made a tsk-tsk sound. “Eyes on me, Jo. For tonight your only interest
is me.”

Blood drained to his cock and it thickened. Oh, she may have
been nervous with hands shaking as she pulled her shirt over her head, but when
she dropped the flimsy thing on the table and reached behind for the clasp of
her bra she was staring at him. Focused in on him. Damn, doing a good job
overcoming her wariness with the crowd that no doubt watched from above.

Those intricate lacy henna patterns around her nipples got
to him every time. He hadn’t meant to say so out loud. The words just came. “I
love your decorations.”

“Thank you.” Her gaze dropped as her skirt slid down her
legs.

“Eyes on me, princess. Unless I tell you otherwise, keep
your eyes on me.”

He was surprised and a little disappointed when she shimmied
out of her panties and he saw that the beautiful design she’d sported all those
months ago was gone. Her mound was still smooth as glass, just without the
henna.

“Put your arms up over your head. That’s right. Stretch them
up. Good. Now turn around. Slowly, so I can see every inch of you. No, don’t
close your eyes. Keep them opened and turn.”

He knew when she did she’d be forced to see the crowd that
had gathered. Hopefully that would be enough to deter her. Already she’d gone
further without bratting than he’d anticipated. He shot a look down at the cat
suit and wondered. Would she do it? Would she let him dress her in it? God,
what if she did? What if she played his pet for the night, what then?

“Stop. Arms down. Come here.” He spread his legs in an
inviting V and waited. When she stepped between his thighs, he leaned around
her and picked up the black leather bottoms. “I want you to wear this.” He
moved her back and held them out for her to step into. “Go on, put your hand on
my shoulder and step into them.”

“What’s that? It’s furry.”

“The tail.”

She had one leg in and paused to squeeze his shoulder.
“Tail?”

“Yes,” He shook the other side of the panty impatiently for
her to get into it. “I want you to be my pet tonight. My little kitten, who
purrs at my feet and adores me.”